Boiler-cleaning device.



V.y MAGKAY. BOILBR CLEANING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED BEPT.10, 1910.4`

1,004.059.. Patented Sepz. 26. 19111 `7 I EE WWW/Mm lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VASIL MACKAY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOILER-CLEANING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led September 10. 1910. Serial No. 581,405.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, VAsIn liLtAcK/xv, a citizen of the United States, residingl at- Boston, in the county of Sutl'olk and State of Massachusetts, have .invented new and useful. Improvements rin lloiler-Cleaninp` Devices, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for vcleaning` dirt, scale, oil and other accunndations from the bottom o'll the internal surfacesof steam boilers, drums, tanks and the like, and has Alor its object to provide a practical device for cleaning out suchaccumulations at any time whether or not the boiler be in operation. Sonie o" the devices to accomplish this result. heretttifore have been open to several disadvantages owing to inherent faults which the invention hereinafter'claimed is intended to obviate.

The object of my invention is further to provide a device ot this class which shall be simple in construction, easy to operate and certain in its action.

To these ends, my invention consists 'in the novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement o t parts nset forth in the following,r specification and particularly pointed ont in-the claims.

Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of-a steam boiler and cleaningr device therefor embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 2-2 ot Fig. 1, looking toward the left showing the brush raised out of contact with the boiler.'l F ig.

"3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-*3 of Fig. 2, looking toward the right. Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 except that the brush is shown in contact with the bottom of the internal surface of the boiler.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

In the d anfing, 5 is a steam boiler, drum, tank or the like of any desired construction and which, in the present embodiment of my invention, consists of a horizontal tubular boiler of the fire tube class in which a space is' provided below the tubes. lIVithin this space is located a suitable cleaning device 6 which, in the present instance, consists of a brush having suitable bristles 7 preferably formed of flat spring steel, this cleaning device being suitably curved to fit the internal surface of the boiler 'shell 8.

Patented Sept. 2G, 1.911.V

To this cleaning device is connected suitable means.I tor movingthe saine horizontally along` the bottom o'f the internal surface of thc boiler shell aud vertically toward and away therefrom, such means 'preferably consistingl` ot a flexible rod 9 journaled in a suitable bearing' on the cleaningr device (5 and ha ving secured thereto a suitable arm or pair of arms 10, these arms being preferably provided, respectively, with rollers 11 journalcd thereon. 'lhc rollers 11 consti,- tute in eitcct parts oi t'hcvarms 10 and the length ot' said arms from their lower extremities, that is, tronrthe lowermost point in the periphery oi each of the rolls to the axis upon which said arms rock is greater than the distance 'trom said axis to the nearest point ot contact ot the brush 7 with the internal sur't'ace of the boiler shell. 4These arms are ot' such length that when swung: into the position shown in Fig. 2 they lift the cleaningr device ont of contact. with the boiler, as shown, but when said arms are swung' into the position shown in Fig. 4, the cleaning4 device is carried by gravity into contact with the bottom of the boiler. "lo counteract. any tendency of the cleaning device to tilt toward the right, the same may. it' desired, be provided with a weight l2. The swinging movement of the arms 10 is limited by two suitable means such, for example, as two stops 13 and 14, the former bcinpr engaged by one `ot the arms 10 when in vertical position, andthe latter being engaged by said arms when the same is carried into the position shown in Fig'. 4.

The flexible rod or shaft 9 passes through the front head 15 of the boiler and there is provided a ysuitable stuling box 16 through which said shaft extends, said stuffing box permitting said shaft to be moved freely to and fro, but preventing any leakage around said shaft. The shaft is provided externally of the front head 15 with suitable means for manipulating the same, such, for example, as a handle 17 by means of which the shaft may be reciprocated or rotated on its axis at will. j

The boiler is provided with a suitable blow-ott' pipe 18 leading from the. bottom thereof preferably at thc'rcar end. Located above the entrance to this blow-ofi' pipe is a plate 19 extending transversely of the line ot travel of the cleaning device 6 and constituting a barrier which limits the movement of said cleaning' device toward the --rear end of the boiler, thus preventing the dirt,` scales andV other accumulations from being carried across theori'fice of the blow' olf pipe 18 'by the cleaning device 6 and insuring at all times a free passage f or lthe escape of water,` scales, dir t and other accumulations when the boiler is blown olf.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that the brush .or other cleaning device 6'is located at the rear'end of the boiler,

- as shown in Fig. 1, and assuming that the arms 10 stand in a vertical position, as shown 'in'said figure, and also in Figs. 2 and 3, the

operator opens the usual door of the boiler front and grasping the handle 17 exerts an outward pullA thereon, thus causing the cleaning device to-'beparried to the front .endof the boiler, it being understood that f the rollers 11 will easily roll along the boiler manner.

shell. 'During this movement, the cleaning device itself is out of contact with the in-v ternal surface of theV boiler shell vand is sepai shell. The operator .then pushes the cleaning device inwardly toward'4 the rear end of the r boilerl and the accumulations of scale, dirt, and oil are carried to the.. entrance of the blow-ofi' pipe 18 and can be blown off by operating the blow-oiiiI valve in vthe usual The brush is then raised out of contact with the 'boiler by rotating the shaft in the proper direction, after which the brush is again carried to the front of the boiler, it being .understood that since the brush is raised it cannot carryany-of the dirt o'r other accumulations forward. A few repetitions of the scraping action lof, the cleaning device will serve to free the bottom `of the'boiler from all accumulations of 'foreign matter.

Having thus described my invention, .what

I claim and desire by Letters vPatent to secure is: v

.1. A cleaning device for steam boilers and the llike having,'in combination, a cleaner, means for moving' saidcleanerhorizontally within the boiler, and other means supported y on said cleaner to move4 relatively thereto 'and operated bythe first mentioned means' for imparting to said cleaner'a vertical mbvement independently of said horizontal movement.

2. A- cleaning device for'steamboilers and the like having, in combination, a cleaner,

a shaftv ljournaled on said cleaner, and an' arm -carried by said shaft *and adapted to be moved'thereby relati'yely to said cleaner, said armbeing greater in length from the 'eXtremity ofits free end to its axis than the distance from saidaxis to the nearest' point of the operatingl surface of said cleaner.

3. A cleaning device for steam boilers and the like having, in combination, a cleaner, a flexible shaft vjournaled on said. cleaner, a pivotedzarm carried by said shaft adjacent to said cleaner, 'and irreansto 'limit the swing-,

ing movement of said arm.

y In testimony whereof I have hereunto se my hand in presence of twoA subscribing witvAsIL MACK'AY. Witnesses:

Louis A. JONES, SADm V. MCC'ARTHY. 

